Rivers
FG Inducts Apostle Chinyere Into Nigeria’s Books Of Record
The Nigeria Books of Record (NBR) Research Centre has appointed the General Overseer of Omega Power Ministries (OPM), Apostle Chibuzor Chinyere, as Fellow of the organisation.
NBR was established in 2009 as part of the “Change Begin with Me Campaign” of the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture.
Director-General of the centre, Prof. David David, conferred the honour during a church service at OPM headquarters in Port Harcourt on Sunday.
David said the decision to confer Chinyere as a fellow of the centre was taken in view of his selfless and humanitarian services to the poor and less privileged.
“So, we decided to induct Apostle Chinyere a Fellow of NBR in recognition of his humanitarian assistance to thousands of Nigerians across all religious and ethnic divides.
“Chinyere is among those who are bringing real change in Nigeria by his mission of giving hope to the poor, less privileged and downtrodden in the society.
“The remarkable thing that impresses us about his humanitarian services is that these things are done from the offerings and tithes of members of the church,” he said.
David said through the tithes and offerings that Chinyere built 22 state-of-the-art free nursery and primary schools being attended by more than 45,000 pupils in the country.
“The pupils are provided with four pairs of uniforms, bags, books and other writing materials as well as fed daily in OPM’s free school feeding programme.
“Chinyere built the first free school for children born with Autism and Down syndrome in the world as well as operates two free specialist hospitals in Port Harcourt and Abia state.
“He has built 18 free estates that accommodate both the poor, repentant armed robbers, kidnappers, militants, and prostitutes, among others, as they undergo rehabilitation,” he said.
David said aside from providing accommodation for them, Chinyere also feed, clothe and take care of their general upkeep.
According to him, the preacher has given local and foreign scholarships to over 3,000 Nigerians in universities in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Turkey, Cyprus, Benin and the United Arab Emirates.
“OPM also operates a free restaurant that feeds the poor and less privileged as well as built houses for widows and orphans.
“Currently, the church operates the largest skills acquisition centre in Port Harcourt that has trained over 30,000 Nigerians in the last ten years on different vocational skills for free.
“Recall that Chinyere in 2021 relocated late Deborah’s family to Port Harcourt, bought them a 15 mini flat estates, gave her parents a car, canteen and awarded scholarships to her siblings,” David said.
Receiving the award, Apostle Chinyere expressed delight over the honour and reiterared his commitment to engage in more humanitarian services for the people.
He said that he was motivated to embark on humanitarian works by his passion and commitment to follow the footstep of Jesus Christ – who loves the poor and the suffering.
“We already have more humanitarian services in the pipeline that are designed to touch more lives in 2023.
“One of the things we want to do is to establish a free university where children of the less privileged can go to school without paying a Kobo.
“The things we are already doing and others in the pipeline will be run from the tithes and offerings of members of OPM,” he said.
The Rivers State Chief Judge, Justice Simeon Chibuzor Amadi, says the state judiciary has a total of 23,870 cases pending in various courts in the State.
This figure includes all cases pending in Magistrate, High, and Customary Courts, as well as Customary Court of Appeal in the State.
Justice Amadi stated this while presiding over a special court session held to mark the comencement of the 2024/2025 new legal year held at the auditorium of the High Court in Port Harcourt, Thursday.
The State Chief Judge, while giving the breakdown of performances by the Judiciary in the last year ended, revealed that the stastics of the cases brought before the courts from October 30, 2023 to 30th September 2024 is 31,886, while cases filed stood at 14,791 and cases disposed in the period under review is 22,725.
He further disclosed that the State Judiciary and the customary courts generated a total of #525,322,478,83 as revenue in the last judiciary year under review.
He described the special court session as an annual ritual of the judiciary marked to herald the beginning of a new legal year, stressing that it affords the judiciary and all stakeholders the needed opportunity to take stock of the activities of the judiciary in the past one year in order to improve, with a view to strengthening the justice administration.
The number one state judiciary officer stated that the judiciary had undertaken a lot of capital infrastructure in the year ended to ensure the comfortablility of the workers and judicial officers, and announced that additional high courts would be constructed at Okehi and Degema to ease the challenges of numerous cases coming from such jurisdictions.
Justice Amadi further disclosed that the state judiciary has a total of 51 judges, 57 magistrates, 30 Chairmen of customary courts, and 60 presiding members, adding that the state judiciary has 12 judicial Divisions, 37 magisterial Districts, and 30 customary courts.
“We lost seven judiciary staff, Port Harcourt NBA lost 16, Okehi branch 1, Bori branch 2, and Ahoada branch 2 . Creation of a judicial Division is based on cases filed from such area and we recommend for approval of such and not for politically based”, he stated.
The State Chief Judge used the opportunity to thank the State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, for the support given to the judiciary in the state, noting that the success recorded by the judiciary in the state was attributed to the huge support from the State Governor.
He also appreciated the efforts of the security agencies and the media for their various cooperation and support and urged them to sustain such in this legal year .
In their various speeches at the event, the State Attorney General and Commissoner of Justice, Dagogo Isreal-Ibroma, SAN; the Leader of the body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Rivers State, OCJ Okocha, SAN; and the Chairman of NBA, Port Harcourt Branch, Mrs. Eke Cordelia, commended the achievements recorded by the state judiciary and urged that more measures be put in place to enhance speedy dispensation of justice.
The special court session was preceded by a church service.
By: Akujobi Amadi
A religious body in Rivers State, the House of Jesus Christ Ministries, has appealed to the warring politicians in the State to stop the orgy of violence over leadership supremacy and embrace genuine dialogue.
This is contained in a recent statement by the Parish Church Council (PCC) meeting of the church.
The statement, which was signed by the General Overseer, Apostle Joseph Emmanuel; Secretary, Evangelist ThankGod Akpanowoh; Parish Women Leader, Mrs. Promise Aniebet William; and Parish Evangelist, Elder Aniefiok Benneth, noted that the spate of violence witnessed across the state has taken unimaginable dimensions with the recent killings, wanton destruction of properties, and the burning down of Council Secretariats.
It said if care is not taken, the crisis could extend to homes, and therefore called on the warring parties to stop and gove room for a lasting solution.
Blaming the Federal Government under the watch of President Bola Tinubu, who it said had been seemingly passive in handling the political difference between the former Governor of the State and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike and his successor, Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
“The kind of crisis we are seeing cannot be rationalised. Whether in Rivers or Lagos, whether we are talking of state violence of political upheavals rocking the state, we plead as a church with the contending politicians to pull back their hatchets of indifference for the sake of peace, unity, stability and progress, and allow the possibility of genuine dialogue to begin, and lasting peace restored”, the church said.
Noting that the xurrent wind of democracy blowing in the state is one of the legacies of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and others who preach peace, love and development in the state, the Church cautioned against further crises “in the once peaceful state for posterity”.
It urged the current politicians in the country to emulate the peaceful disposition and virtues of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, which is instrumental to the prevailing peace in the state, in the face of continued provocations.
By: Bethel Toby
Rivers State has topped the performance chart in the implementation of the Nigerian Community Action Resilience And Economic stimulus (NG -CARES) programme in the South-South and Nigeria.
This was contained in a report released at the just-concluded two-day peer learning and experience sharing event in Port Harcourt.
According to the report, Rivers State performed excellently in all aspects of the programme implementation.
The state was followed by Delta State, which emerged second both in the South-South and the country at large.
Meanwhile, the World Bank has approved an additional $500million for the extension of the programme for the next three years.
World Bank Task Team leader, Dr.Lire Ersado, said at the event that the programme has lived up to expectations as it has gone along way to alleviate the sufferings of millions of poor and vulnerable Nigerians.
Ersado, who was represented by Professor Folorusho Okumadewa, said NG CARES has gotten the right strategies and approach in making sure that poor and vulnerable Nigerians can smile.
He said the programme, which was initially setup to address suffering caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, is even more relevant today with a view to addressing the plights of Nigerians affected by flood and other natural disasters.
Ersado said the Port Harcourt meeting, which is the sixth in the series of meetings held across the country, will provide opportunity for all states in the country to cross check their performances with each, as well as learn from the successes and failures of each other.
Also speaking, Rivers State Commissioner for Commerce And Industry, Barrister John Otamiri, said the programme was in line with the State Government programme of alleviating the sufferings of the people.
He also said the government is ready to partner with NG CARES to alleviate the sufferings of the poor and vulnerable in the society.
Otamiri said also assures that Rivers State is safe for investment.
While reeling out its performances, National Coordinator, NG CARES, Dr. Abdulkarim Obaje, said the world Bank is passionate about the programme , adding that the bank has graciously extended the programme for another three years with an additional $500 million.
He said within the last three years $750 million was disbursed to the 36 states and FCT in 160 delivery platforms.
Obaje added that 9.2 million poor and vulnerable Nigerians also benefited from the programme across the country in the last three years.
Earlier, Rivers State Coordinator, RiV CARES, Mrs. Ephraim George Imaonyani, commended the delegates for choosing Rivers State for the South-South meeting.
By; John Bibor